Well, the true titles of this article should be "Why I Don't Play Video Games All That Often," but that's not eye-catching. Such is the case when you write for the Odyssey.
I used to be an avid gamer on the Wii and DS. I played the Wii so much I was actually good at the terrible motion controls. The DS, and later the 3DS, introduced me to platformers and RPGs, and man was it a blast. It was the perfect solution for a kid who lived in a small town, with friends miles away. I loved to get lost in the game world, explore each game's fine crevices, before going onto the next one, and I'm quite glad I was able to do this. Contrary to what many people will say, video games will not rot your brain, they are a complex art form with more tools to tell a story than any other medium.
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In high school, it was easy to find time to pop in a good game or two, especially a handheld RPG like Fire Emblem or Golden Sun. During my downtime, like on weekends or during summers, I committed my time to home console experiences like "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" or either of the Super Mario Galaxys. I had time to kill, and this was the most enjoyable way to spend my time.
But times changed. I grew up. I started working, I went to college, I even had a long string of romantic relationships. Suddenly gaming was kicked to the curb, as a side thing I did with friends or used to entertain company. The only time I did it prolifically was when I was in between school and getting a job; no-nothing downtime that I haven't had in awhile. Gaming slowly devolved out of my life as my professional life started taking shape.
Yet I still have the love for this art form I had back in high school. I know of its potential, of the stuff it has already done, and I yearn to experience things that I missed out on. This has driven me to purchase consoles I never got the chance to play, such as the Sega Genesis and the Nintendo GameCube, and I have found some enjoyment out of them when I can find the time.
Time is the key word when discussing my relationship with gaming.
Not everyone has the time to just slow down and stop to experience the fineries of the world, most of us have to work to survive, get an education, or take care of loved ones. Not everyone has time to spare, and this is the wall I've run into with gaming.
A competent game is a commitment. An average game should give you at least 6 hours of gameplay, which widely deviates from the average running time of a movie, which should be just under 2 hours. When you have a lot going on in life, it's hard to spare those 6 hours, especially if the game isn't all that great to begin with.
Maybe I'll return to gaming, in the way that I used to game. As of now, I have a career to build, a life to make, and gaming just hasn't been able to root itself as part of my life that other things have. It's simple as that.
